2
A CLOUD OF WITNESSES: THE SAINTS OF THE ROMAN CANON I am amazed at how often I will make a passing reference, only to be greeted with puzzled looks, as clearly the reference was lost to the intended recipient. I recall my reference to a former Minnesota Twin Cesar Tovar (who played all nine positions in one game for the Twins, albeit in 1968) and the blank stares it engendered in return. Other times it may be an intentional act on my part to illustrate a point. For example, what do these men have in common– George Clinton, Hannibal Hamlin, John Nance Garner and Alben W. Barkley? Ever heard of any of them? Each was the proverbial “heartbeat away” from the Presidency, serving as Vice-President under Presidents Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman respectively. During Lincoln’s second term, Hamlin was succeeded by Andrew Johnson, who himself would assume the presidency after Lincoln’s assassination. So, when pouring through the names of the saints mentioned in the Roman Canon, I’ll admit that most people know little about them, and I’d like to fill out the list that I began discussing several weeks ago. We have already noted the Apostles (minus Judas) mentioned early on in the prayer, and have covered previously several other martyrs and the five laymen mentioned in the prayer. Today, we resume our discussion of the identity of those saints mentioned after the consecration. At the beginning of that section the priest first strikes his breast at the words “to us also your servants, who, though sinners” a clear reference to the gravity of his own unworthiness, perhaps especially in light of the lives of those 15 people whom he is about to name. John- It is virtually certain that the John to whom the Canon refers is none other than John the Baptist, but the Latin says simply Ioanne. The principal objection to the Baptist was that he was put to death before the Passion of the Lord, raising the question of whether he was a martyr of the new covenant? But who else could it be? In 1824, the Congregation for Rites definitively clarified that it was indeed John the Baptist, and this is how it is translated into English. Dispute over! This reminds me of the strophe from Mozart’s Requiem that reads “Qui Mariam absolvisti…You, who absolved Mary…” Yikes! I am always quick to note that the Mary to whom it refers is the Magdalene, for obvious reasons! Stephen- deacon and protomartyr, whose martyrdom we read of in the book of Acts, chapters 6 and 7. Some Catholic parishes include ‘protomartyr’ in their official title, and it is a significant designation, for he was the first to pour forth his blood in witness to Christ. He is a man “full of grace and strength,” and his name, derived from the Greek, means ‘crown.’ He is often depicted in art with three stones and the martyrs’ palm, and is the patron saint of bricklayers! His feast falls right after Christmas, on December 26 th . Matthias- Next, we honor the replacement (chosen by lot) of Judas, and the only biblical character to bear that name. The group known as “the Twelve” was irreplaceable. Theologically, today’s bishops are successors to the apostles, not replacements. It may seem like nit-picking, but these distinctions are important. But Matthias was there from the beginning. Further information about Matthias is sketchy and contradictory. Some sources place him preaching the Gospel in Ethiopia; one locates his death in present day Georgia (no, not that Georgia). Some sources indicate he was crucified, while others posit that he was stoned to death and then beheaded with an axe, with which he is often depicted in art. The Latin Church observes Matthias’ feast on May 14 th and the Greek Church on August 9 th . Barnabas- The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that Barnabas was, “styled an Apostle... and, like St. Paul, ranked by the Church with the Twelve, though not one of them.” The name means “son of consolation,” and he was one of the seventy[-two] disciples, having been with Jesus since His baptism by John in the Jordan. He was a Levite from Cyprus……He accompanied Saint Paul on the first missionary journey. In his 1963 book, “The Saints of the Canon of the Mass,” Vincent Kennedy suggests that the inclusion of both Matthias and Barnabas seems to be a completion of the list of the apostles found earlier. The early Church honored the memories of those who were so close to the Lord in his ministry, and desired that the people of a new generation would never forget their link with those who went before them. The
